Visa and Requirements

Before you apply for a visa please keep following things in your mind :-

•  Submit your application early enough
•  Apply for the correct visa! Tourist and language course visas cannot be converted into a student visa.
•  Make sure your passport is valid for your entire stay.
•  If you’re from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea or the United States you can come to Germany without a visa and register at the local    Residents’ Registration Office and the Aliens’ Registration Office (Ausländeramt) to get a German residence permit after your arrival.
•  If you are a Student from Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino, then you  only need a visa if you want to work before or after your studies.
There are two types of Student visa :-
1. Student applicant visa („Visum zur Studienbewerbung“)
If you have not yet received notification of admission to a university or foundation course, you should apply for a student applicant visa.
This three-month visa allows you to meet the requirements for admission to a German university. If you find that three months is not long enough, you may extend your visa to a maximum of six months. If you are admitted to the university or foundation course within this period, you may apply for a student visa.
2. Student visa („Visum zu Studienzwecken“)
If you have received your notification of admission to university or a foundation course, you should apply for a student visa. Student visas are usually valid for three months. Within these three months, you will have to apply for an extended residence permit at the Alien Registration Office in your university town.
Required documents for Visa :

•   acceptance from the educational institution;
•   sufficient financial resources to cover living and study expenses;
•   health insurance;
•   Accommodation;
•   Certificates of past academic work and achievements
•   Certificate of German language proficiency or proof that you intend on attending a language course in Germany
•   For a student applicant visa: university entrance qualification recognised in Germany
•   For a student visa: notification of admission from your German university (or a statement from the university confirming that your prospects of gaining admissioare     good).
Proof of financial (Finanzierungsnachweis) resources :

•   Family income and financial assets documents .
•   Someone with permanent residence in Germany can guarantee the Alien Registration Office to cover your expenses.
•   A security payment can be deposited into a blocked account.
•   You can present a bank guarantee.
•   You can present a scholarship award notification from a recognised scholarship provider.
    Blocked Account :
Many international students use a blocked account to finance their studies in Germany. The money deposited into the account cannot be withdrawn until you have arrived in Germany.
It is relatively easy to open a blocked account. There are a few points you should remember:
1. Apply early enough
You can open a blocked account at the “Deutsche Bank”, for example. It usually takes just a week for the paperwork to be processed. It can take much longer, however, when the semester begins. That’s why we recommend completing the application for a blocked account well in advance. To obtain an application, send an e-mail to the Deutsche Bank at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
2. Have the application and required documents certified
The next step is to have the completed forms and a copy of your passport certified by a German consulate general or the German embassy in your country. Only then should you send your documents to the Deutsche Bank. Please note: Do not send your documents as attached scans by e-mail or by fax; the bank only accepts originals.
Deutsche Bank Privat und Geschäftskunden AG
Service Center Hamburg / Ausländische Studenten
Alter Wall 53
20457 Hamburg
Deutschland/Germany
3. Open your account
If your documents are in order, the bank sets up a blocked account for you. This costs a one-time fee of 50 euros. As soon as your account is ready, you have to deposit at least 8,700 euros into it.
4. Withdraw money
Once you’ve arrived in Germany, you should make an appointment in a branch office of your bank. (It doesn’t have to be the “Deutsche Bank” – there are various banks in Germany, e.g. “Sparkasse” or “Volksbank”.) The bank officer will help you get an EC card, with which you can withdraw money from cash machines, and provide you with your login data for online banking.
Process for visa  ?
You must be
•   be registered or have an invitation to register as a student in an educational institution or to attend language courses;
•   obtain a student visa; ( You must apply to the embassy or consulate in your country of origin or permanent residence for a student visa. The rules of the Residence     Act governing the issue of residence permits are applicable.) and
•   be granted a residence permit. ( Once in Germany, you must apply for a residence permit for the purpose of study. The residence permit is granted by your local Foreigners Authority. )
How to get a residence permit ?
When you arrive in Germany , you must notify the Resident Registration Office of the town. At the Resident Registration Office, you have to complete a registration form and receive your confirmation of registration. It’s an important document to get your residence permit.
then you will have to register with the Alien Registration Office in your town. The International Office of your university can give you the address and tell you exactly which documents you should take along.
They will ask to see the following documents:
•    Confirmation of registration from the Resident Registration Office
•    Confirmation of health insurance coverage
•    Certificate of enrolment from your German university
•    Proof of financial resources (if applicable)
•    Passport (and visa, if you have one)
•    Health certificate (if necessary)
•    Money for the fee
•    Tenancy agreement (if applicable)
•    Biometric passport photos
The fee for first-time applicants can cost up to 110 euros. The fee for an extension can cost up to 80 euros.
Your residence permit is issued in the form of a chip card which contains your personal data, such as your passport photo and finger prints. Four to six weeks after applying, you will be notified by the Alien Registration Office that your residence permit has arrived. You must pick it up in person. Your residence permit is valid for at least one year and up to two years in some cases, and can be extended if necessary.